Joe Bruin
Encyclopedia
Joe Bruin is the official mascot
of UCLA
and is often found with Josephine Bruin, a female brown bear
. He is a visible and constant on-field presence at UCLA sporting events.
In 1924, students chose a more threatening grizzly bear
. In 1926 the name was changed to the "Bruins" and UC Berkeley
called its mascot the Bears. UCLA used live bears as mascots, which entertained the home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
. The bears were given various names, but "Joe Bruin" endured over time. Costumed student mascots have represented Joe Bruin since the mid-1960s. The design for the costume bear changed again in 1996 from a smiling bruin to the current one.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
of UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
and is often found with Josephine Bruin, a female brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
. He is a visible and constant on-field presence at UCLA sporting events.
History
The original mascot was represented by bear cubs.In 1924, students chose a more threatening grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
. In 1926 the name was changed to the "Bruins" and UC Berkeley
California Golden Bears
The California Golden Bears is the nickname used for 29 varsity athletic programs and various club teams of the University of California, Berkeley...
called its mascot the Bears. UCLA used live bears as mascots, which entertained the home crowd at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team...
. The bears were given various names, but "Joe Bruin" endured over time. Costumed student mascots have represented Joe Bruin since the mid-1960s. The design for the costume bear changed again in 1996 from a smiling bruin to the current one.